With finally deeply tuned guitars and a good dose of courage for complacency to Paradise Lost enter probably their last rendezvous in domestic CD player. Everything in the world changes, and Nick Holmes and Co. have no way to the back found that one was blown with "Gothic", "Shades of God" or "Icon" to our ears. Bad? No. How boring it would have been of finding a poor imitation of what was then devised and implemented already in all perfection? Only one thing has remained: the sense of great music, great songwriting and a unique atmosphere. Who has the guys "host" resented them is the "symbol of life" can not forgive. The guitars are prominent and sad, and surprise, surprise again, I discover a woman's voice. That gave it since the Gothic no longer! However, all sorts of electronics mingles with the "real" instruments of keyboard kitsch or overcharging no trace. It shows, as expected, experienced in dealing with instruments and sound track, which makes the whole production work clean and strong, especially the lower frequencies are just fun. This disc massaging the eardrum, instead of piercing it. What remains after an hour, in addition to the feeling of having enjoyed great music, unfortunately, feel that this will be the last thing you can hear from the guys. Or perhaps because of the melancholy - rusty guitar playing and the heartbreaking genius shouting the last song, "Smalltown Boy"? So sadly, that one thinks that the band wanted to say goodbye so. I for one can not help this impression. To conclude, the Tip: Be sure the Limited Edition with bonus tracks get, without which the album almost half as good, "Xavier" and "Smalltown Boy" as a really successful Jimmy Somerville Cover carry about 70 percent of the mood of the whole album and are so very wistful and beautiful that one can hardly escape. Full credit for this masterpiece of a mature band.
